A Fairy Tail She Won't Forget
by Kamije Celeek
Summary: Family. A six-letter word that eighteen-year-old Michelle Heartfilia hasn't been familiar with since her older sister left five years prior. Unable to take her father's iron fist any longer, she follows the same path Lucy did. At the end of it, she finds that six-letter word again, finally reunderstanding its meaning. Rated M for possible future lemons.
1. Michelle Heartfilia

**This is an idea I came up with randomly, as usual.**

* * *

I zip up my backpack and sling it over my shoulders. Everything I'll need for the time being is packed inside. I'm not coming back here, so what would be the point in not bringing the essentials?

I'm actually doing this. I'm running away from home!

Maybe I should explain, though, before my story _truly_ starts.

My name is Michelle Heartfilia. I'm eighteen years old and the younger daughter of rich businessman Jude Heartfilia and the late Layla Heartfilia. Ever since my mother passed away thirteen years ago, I've lived under my father's iron fist, controlled in every aspect of my life—what I wear, what I eat, when I sleep, who I can have as friends, even where I can and can't go in the house! It's suffocating and I need to escape. That's why I'm running away from home; I'm legally an adult and finished with high school, so Daddy can't drag me back here—at least not legally.

Believe it or not, I actually have a goal in running away.

Since I don't have that much money or a job, I need someplace to live. I need somebody to help me. I need family.

The only family member I have left is my older sister, Lucy, who ran away from home when _she_ was eighteen. I was only thirteen when it happened, but it left a mark. I knew that I'd leave home if Daddy ever became too much for me, just like she did.

So now, I'm setting out on my own for the first time.

I hope Lucy's not too far away…

* * *

It's been two weeks since I left home. Two weeks of wandering and sleeping where I can. I remember how Lucy taught me to do laundry back when she lived at home, which is pretty helpful when I need to wash my clothes. Unfortunately, I'm almost out of money.

Thunder cracks above my head. Almost instantly, rain pours down from the sky, sending people running for cover. Most of them probably knew it was going to rain today, judging by the fact that a lot of them have rain gear with them. I didn't know. I don't even _have_ rain gear with me.

It only takes a matter of minutes before I'm completely soaked. A feeling of helplessness washes over me and I can feel the tears pricking behind my eyes. Nobody will notice them but me. I'm already dripping wet. I sit down in a doorway in an alley that's not covered at all and lean against the railing, letting my tears flow freely.

 _"I'm not crying! I'm a big girl now, Lulu! Big girls don't cry!"_

 _"Oh, Mimi. Just because you're a big girl now doesn't mean you can't cry. Big girls cry."_

 _"Even you?"_

 _"Even me. Sometimes, crying just makes you feel better."_

She was right.

After she left, I cried a lot. Every time I did, I felt better. Not for long, though, because something else would happen to make me feel awful.

I miss her so much!

"Where are you, Lulu?" I whisper, feeling my eyelids getting heavy. I surrender to sleep.

* * *

The next thing I know, someone's shaking me. I open my eyes and see a silhouette since my vision is bleary from the rain (it's still pouring) and sleep. It's a girl with long hair carrying an umbrella. I sit up straight.

"Oh, thank God you aren't dead!" she sighs in relief. My eyes adjust and I can see she's very pretty. Her long hair is dark blue and her eyes are the same honey-brown as Lulu's were. Or are. She extends a hand to me. "I'm Wendy."

"Michelle," I reply, taking her hand. She helps me to my feet and I grab my backpack.

"Do you need a place to stay?" she inquires.

"Yes."

"Come on." She leads me down the street. "I know a place we can eat before we go to my apartment."

I follow her over the hill and see a building in the distance: Fairy Tail. We're heading straight for it.

I can't explain it, but it feels like Fairy Tail will be very important to me…

* * *

 **Oh my God. This is the shortest chapter I've written in a** _ **long**_ **time, but it needed to be its own thing in order to set up the rest of the story. Please leave all questions in the comments.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish.**


	2. Welcome to Fairy Tail

**Right now I'm trying to update stories that I haven't updated in a while.**

 **This is one of those stories.**

 ***** _ **Law and Order**_ **dun-dun***

* * *

Wendy smiled as she and Michelle walked towards Fairy Tail. Michelle's bright blue eyes were wide as she gazed at the building. It wasn't the most friendly-looking place. It had once been a warehouse, with a couple offices upstairs. Now it was a bar, but it was also a home for the lost ones, the people who needed a family to care about them. Wendy had been lucky enough to have a brother and a cousin who did that, but they had needed Fairy Tail just as much as anybody else there.

"What kind of place is this?" Michelle asked.

"It's a bar, but the people inside are more like my family," Wendy replied, shifting her umbrella. "My brother, Natsu, found it first and brought me here when I was twelve."

"Oh." Michelle's face seemed to be torn between happiness and something… sad. "Maybe somebody inside can help me."

"Help you do what?"

"Find my sister."

"What's her name—"

Wendy was cut off by a man pushing past them gruffly. He seemed like he was in a bad mood, but Wendy just shook her head. Michelle looked confused.

"Ignore Laxus," Wendy sighed. "He's just in a bad mood."

They entered the bar, where Wendy could see her brother arguing with his friend, Gray.

"Hey, Natsu!" greeted Wendy.

"Hey, Wendy," he replied, turning away from his argument. He gestured to Michelle. "Who's this?"

"I'm Michelle!" Michelle replied.

"I found her in an alley on my way here," Wendy explained. "She needs some food and a place to stay tonight."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Wendy?" Gray asked. "I mean, you don't know anything about this girl."

"I'm not dangerous!" Michelle insisted. "This is the first time I've been away from home, and I don't know anybody…"

"Most of us were like that before we got here," Mirajane said kindly. "You're not the first, and I doubt you'll be the last."

"Thank you, Miss…?"

"Mirajane Strauss. Most people call me Mira, though!"

"Thank you, Mira!" Mira handed the little runaway a menu, and Michelle's face fell at the prices. "I'm sorry, but I don't—"

"I'll pay," offered Natsu. "She's a friend of Wendy's. It's the least I can do."

"Thank you, sir! I _promise_ I'll pay you back as soon as I can!"

"No prob."

Michelle ended up getting a bowl of soup and some bread. When she was done eating, she and Wendy headed out down the road to a building not far away. They headed up the stairs to an apartment labeled '506'. Wendy unlocked the door and a blue cat ran up to them. He was purring like a maniac and Wendy bent over to pet him as she closed the door behind the two girls.

"This is Happy," she said. "He's my brother's cat. Carla's mine. She's around here somewhere."

As if on cue, Michelle caught sight of a pure white cat sleeping on the ratty and ripped couch.

"It's so _nice_!" she breathed.

"It's not much, but it's ours." Wendy led Michelle down a small hallway to a small bedroom. "You can sleep in here. I'll grab a sleeping bag from storage and sleep in that."

"No! I'll take the sleeping bag!" Michelle insisted.

Suddenly, Wendy's phone beeped. She checked it and smiled.

"Good news—Natsu's staying at his girlfriend's tonight, so I'll take his bed. You take mine."

"You're both so _nice_!"

"Well, it's kind of a requirement to be part of the Fairy Tail family—we look out for each other."

Michelle felt her eyes welling with tears and she wiped them away.

"What's wrong?" Wendy asked.

"It's just… I miss my mom…"

"Your mom?"

"She passed away when I was five."

"Mine did, too. Natsu and I had to avoid being put in the system by pretending our parents were still alive."

"Aw… at least your brother cares about you…"

* * *

The next morning—Saturday, for those who care to know—Wendy and Michelle headed to Fairy Tail so Michelle could start planning her next move. They sat at the bar, chatting away while Gray got in a fight with Wendy's cousin, Gajeel's. Natsu had yet to arrive, which Michelle reasoned was because he was with his girlfriend.

"What's your brother's girlfriend like?" Michelle asked.

"Well, she's not _really_ his girlfriend, but it's only a matter of time," Wendy replied. "She's really sweet, but she's not afraid to whack him back into line. She only came here about… five years ago, now?"

"That's about the time my sister ran away!"

"What's your sister's name?"

"Her name is—"

Michelle was cut off by the door flying open to reveal Natsu.

"HEY, GUYS!" he yelled.

"GODDAMMIT, NATSU!" a familiar girl's voice snapped. Michelle's heart skipped a beat as she turned to see a pretty blonde with honey-brown eyes enter behind Wendy's brother. "Do you _have_ to be so loud?"

 _Lulu?!_

"Sorry, Lucy!" Mira chirped. "He's just happy to be here!"

"Yeah, whatever."

Michelle couldn't move. She wanted to just stand up and run into Lucy's arms and never let go, but she couldn't force herself to do it until she turned around.

"…Lucy?" she whispered. The blonde looked at her and her eyes went wide.

"…Michelle?" she asked.

The bar went silent as Lucy and Michelle stared at each other.

* * *

 **CLIFFHANGERS ARE A PAIN IN THE ASS BUT THEY'RE HOW I STAY FUCKING MOTIVATED.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


End file.
